Stella McCartney's Mushroom Rich SS 2022 Campaign by Mert & Marcus

Stella McCartney's Mushroom Rich SS 2022 Campaign by Mert & Marcus AOC Fashion

The Stella McCartney brand, defined by its sustainability commitments and credentials, is now so firmly entrenched in the minds of luxury consumers, that we can look at her Spring-Summer 2022 campaign as pure fashion. Stella is more committed than ever to now cultivate a larger message of people’s relationship with nature.

Photographed by Mert & Marcus [IG], the creative entourage captures the new Stella McCartney campaign with supermodel Natalia Vodianova center stage. The fashion shoot happened at France’s Marqueyssac gardens, one of France's listed 'Jardins Remarquable' sitting high above the Dordogne river.

Additional photography from the Stella McCartney’s Spring 2022-Summer 2022 campaign took place at the Espace Niemeyer in Paris, the site of Stella’s runway show. “The space gives the sense of being in a mushroom cap, an iconic nod to Oscar Niemeyer’s artistic expression and openness,” says the Stella McCartney website.

Fashion’s GAIA Queens

Spring 2022 mushrooms, center stage at Stella McCartney’s runway show in fall.2021, got a fresh boost two weeks ago. Sarah Burton stepped into the mushrooms and mycelium creative romp with her post-Paris, mid-March Alexander McQueen Fall 2022 runway show in New York City.

The womanly synergy of Stella McCartney, Sara Burton and Gabriela Hearst leading the discussion around our relationship to nature and organic processes cannot be ignored.

Is sustainability primary a ‘woman’s thing’? The dynamic has changed in the last decade with women now much more likely than men to be green activists and financial contributors to environmental causes. Be sure to set Google search time parameters when exploring this topic, because the current data delivers very different results from total Google results.

Fashion’s Leather Debate

Committed to making mycelium a big topic in fashion world, Stella works with mycologist and ‘Entangled Life’ author Merlin Sheldrake to host summer events paying homage to mushrooms. Activities include cooking sessions with globally renowned chefs, synthesizer music created from the sounds of fungi growing by Cosmo Sheldrake and this season’s hand-drawn print, emblazoned on luxury wallpaper by British heritage fabrics house Cole & Son.

Related: Stella McCartney's Spring 2022 Collection Hugs Shroom Power Sustainability AOC Fashion

The Times’ Vanessa Friedman is not entirely fair — or her memory failed her — when she wrote that sustainability finally made its full-throated entrance in the spring 2022 shows with Stella McCartney’s collection.

Friedman wrote: “Well, hello sustainability. Wondering when you’d show up.” The fashion industry expert must have slept through Gabriela Hearst’ Chloé show: Gabriela Hearst Takes Chloé to Bugatti Speed in Redefining Purpose for Luxury Brands

Within this creative atmosphere, the fashion crowd heard the voice of American mycologist and entrepreneur Paul Stamets, who is considered an intellectual and industry leader in everything associated with fungi. In only a few seconds, Stamets summed up the future of fashion with his admonition: “In fashion, mushrooms are the future.”

Natalia Vodianova Keeps Inspiring by Nicolas Valois in Harper's Bazaar Spain

Natalia Vodianova Keeps Inspiring by Nicolas Valois in Harper's Bazaar Spain AOC Fashion

Supermodel Natalia Vodianova is styled by Beatriz Machado in Swan-Lake inspired, modern whites elegance. Photographer Nicolas Valois [IG] captures Natalia for Harper’s Bazaar España January 2022. Harper’s calls Vodianova — the supermodel, philanthropist, UN ambassador and Guerlain muse — “one of the industry's greatest forces of change.”

Karen Elson, Natalia Vodianova, Aldis Hodge in 'Earthly Delights by Annie Leibovitz

Karen Elson, Natalia Vodianova, Aldis Hodge in 'Earthly Delights by Annie Leibovitz AOC Fashion

Models Karen Elson, Natalia Vodianova and Aldis Hodge come together in ‘Earthly Delights’, pure fashion poetry styled by Grace Coddington & Michael Philouze. Master photographer Annie Leibovitz [IG] captures the trio in an impossibly-beautiful, visual oasis for Vogue US September 2021./ Hair by Julien d’Ys; makeup by Francelle Daly

Natalia Vodianova In 'Mother Nurture' by Cedric Bihr for Harper's Bazaar UK September 2021

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Natalia Vodianova In 'Mother Nurture' by Cedric Bihr for Harper's Bazaar UK September 2021 AOC Fashion

Natalia Vodianova is styled by Tania Rat Patron in ‘Mother Nurture’, lensed by Cedric Bihr for Harper’s Bazaar UK September 2021. / Makeup by Violette; makeup by Violette

Vodianova wears LVMH brands Celine by Hedi Slimane, Dior, Fendi, Loewe, Louis Vuitton and more. Lydia Slater conducts the interview.

Natalia Vodianova Takes Up Tabu Around Menstruation

All of Natalia Vodianova’s projects and digital app investments interest AOC but her February 2021 appointment as a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Population Fund is top of list. In particular, Vodianova will tackle the taboo and stigma of menstruation, an irrational mindset that “has undermined the most basic needs and rights of women.”

The reality of menstruation as bodily function for child-bearing women (forgive me if AOC has insulted men with artificial wombs or trans men capable of bearing children) serves as “evidence” of a need for female banishment to secluded and unsanitary living quarters in many parts of the world.

This is the last topic of sexual repression that a woman of privilege like Natalia V needs to take up in life. And yet she does — and for that we adore her many efforts.